


The Whispering Veil

by aschicca



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, But also, Canon Compliant, M/M, Part 1 is just Sirius and The Veil, Sirius Black in The Veil, Sort Of, Temporary Character Death, The Veil is actually a character, also she might have a fondness for Sirius, and she's sassy, poweful Sirius Black, the others show up in Part 2, which should surprise no one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-13 09:00:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20579915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aschicca/pseuds/aschicca
Summary: Sirius falls into The Veil, but that’s not the end. It is, in fact, just the beginning.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you to my Beta Piksa for her patience and her work! Any remaining mistake is mine.
> 
> This is a two-parter and it's complete. You'll get part 2 next Monday :) I have to admit I am very fond of this story, and I'm truly hoping you'll enjoy it, too.

He was flying through the air, unresisting, drawn in by an overpowering force field. 

He was stunned, uncomprehending, lost. He was afraid.

He caught a glimpse of a face… No… There were two. Two faces. Their beloved features horrified, shocked, pained. They looked at him, shouted his name. 

He couldn’t answer. He loved them both, but he was leaving them behind.

He was falling. There was nothing to be done.

His body was eventually caressed by what felt like a light curtain. He was welcomed in, and he felt no pain. 

He let it happen.

And then he closed his eyes.

*

Sirius Black opened his eyes and found himself lying on a soft, comfortable bed. Blinking rapidly to adjust to the blinding light, he slowly sat up and took a few steady breaths. 

Once he felt like his eyes had finally adjusted to the light, Sirius looked around and was startled to find that the room he was in was completely empty. Aside from the bed he was sitting on, only one other thing interrupted the sea of white that enveloped the walls, the ceiling, and the floor of the room: A large mirror was mounted on the wall opposite to the bed.

Carefully, Sirius got up and, after making sure his legs held and that he wasn’t going to be falling backwards again, made his way to the mirror. The rectangular-shaped mirror was placed horizontally on the wall so that it would only reflect a person’s image from head to mid-chest. However, Sirius could not see himself in the mirror as the thing remained opaque even after he placed himself directly in front of it.

“What the bloody hell?” Sirius wondered aloud, while he tried to make jazz hands at the mirror as if the movement alone could prompt it to react.

_Sirius Black._

A female voice startled Sirius, and he whirled around expecting to find someone behind himself. There was no one, Sirius was alone, and so he turned back to the mirror.

“Hello? Are you there? Behind the mirror? Only, I can’t see you if you are. I can’t see anything,” he said.

_I see you, Sirius Black._

“Right, great. Brilliant. Can you maybe, I don’t know, tell me how I can operate this ruddy thing and see you, too?” Sirius asked, patience quickly leaving him. “Also, where exactly are we? D’you know?”

_You cannot see me, Sirius Black. I am not something you can see. That is not what the mirror is about. As for where you are, wizard, the answer is simple: You are with me._

“Thanks. That’s _really_ helpful, that is. Let me see if I got all that: You see me and I can’t see you; the mirror doesn’t want to do what a good mirror does, nor it will be useful to me by showing where you are; and finally, you say I’m “with you”, whatever the hell that means. Did you kidnap me?” 

A small gust of wind hit Sirius’s back as soon as he finished speaking, and if Sirius didn’t know any better he would think the woman (the room?) had just sighed. Madness.

_I did not kidnap you, Sirius Black. I caught you. I broke your fall. I kept you safe._

“O-kay,” Sirius answered, puzzled. “Thank you? But, uhm, you caught me when? And kept me safe from whom?”

There was another gust of wind and, yes, bloody hell the damn room was sighing at him! Speaking to him?

_I am not this chamber, Sirius Black. The chamber is me. My creation. Built for you. The other answers you seek are best shown to you._

As soon as the woman finished talking, the mirror came to life and Sirius could clearly see himself duelling with Bellatrix near the dais in the Death Chamber. It was like watching something on that Muggle television that Remus insisted on installing in their London flat way back when.

Sirius looked on as his cousin Stupefy-ed him, and then watched himself fall backwards until he passed through the Veil. Harry’s and Remus’s anguished faces the last thing his dying eyes could see.

When the scene ended and the mirror obscured again, Sirius felt his legs give. He knelt on the floor with tears running down his face. 

Dead. He was dead. 

Was he dead?

_No, Sirius Black. You are not._

“Seemed pretty… ah… obvious to me,” Sirius croaked, pointing at the mirror.

_Seemed, yes. But it isn’t._

“Okay, so then what am I?”  


_You are held._

Held? What the actual fuck did that mean? Sirius shook his head trying to clear the fog from it, and stood back up.

“Held? Hostage, you mean?” He asked, and a stronger puff of wind nearly knocked him off his feet again.

_You are infuriating, Sirius Black._

Sirius couldn’t help it, he laughed. 

“Yep, that’s me. You were bound to find that out sooner or later,” he joked.

_You are NOT a hostage. I did NOT kidnap you. You came to me, and I’ve been sheltering you. Holding you. You should show me some gratitude._  


The voice had a note of anger in it, and suddenly Sirius realised that he didn’t want to make the woman – or whatever the thing was – mad. He needed to have her on his side if he wanted to find the answers he sought – and maybe even convince her to help him go back to Remus. To Harry.

“I’m sorry,” Sirius said, contrite. “It’s just… Bit of a shock, you know? I didn’t mean to imply you were responsible for whatever’s happening to me. I just… Don’t understand. Can you explain it to me, please? Bellatrix hit me, I fell through the Veil and then… How did I get here? How did you find me?”

_The answer is in your question, Sirius Black. Where did you fall?_

“Uh… The Veil?”

_Then where are you? And who am I?_

Sirius’s eyes widened in shock. “I am… You are… You’re the Veil, aren’t you?”

_There is hope for you, yet._

Great, just Sirius’s luck. He was bound to get a sarcastic, prone to anger, Veil. Definitely fit the profile.

“Okay, good, fantastic. Hi, Veil, thank you for catching me and for… uhm… providing the accommodations,” Sirius said, gesturing to the empty room. “But now, well, how do I get out? No offense, you see, you seem… sound… very nice and all but I, well, I’m sort of needed outside?”

_Needed outside. It is interesting that you decided to pose that as a question. It is one, you are quite right about that. Nonetheless, there is no pressing need to answer it at the moment. After all you haven’t been needed for a while now._

“Wait… What? What do you mean that I haven’t been needed for a while? I just got here! You just showed it to me!” 

While he spoke, Sirius pressed a hand against the mirror almost to recall the scene of his death. His fall. The beginning of his “being held”. Whatever.

_You arrived here fourteen months ago, Sirius Black._

Gasping, Sirius let himself fall to the floor once more and he sat there.

“No… It can’t be. I can’t… No!”

_I never could quite understand the need you humans have to deny the truth in front of your eyes. But, if you need proof…_

The mirror sprung to life again, and Sirius craned his neck in order to see what it wanted to show him. He didn’t trust his own legs to keep him upright, so he didn’t even try to stand.

The scenes the mirror projected were brief and interspersed with one another. Harry was mourning, then feeling guilty, then accompanying Dumbledore somewhere (Wait, was that Slughorn?), then at school with a battered book about Potions. And… Kissing Ginny Weasley (Good for you, kid!).

Remus was refusing to eat, working for the Order but looking like death. Then he was with Tonks, letting her close, keeping her away, letting her close once more… and this time she stayed. 

And then Snape killed Dumbledore (That greasy bastard! I knew he couldn’t be trusted!) and Harry read a note found in a locket… And the note was signed R.A.B.

“Wait! R.A.B.? That’s Regulus, that is!” Sirius shouted, surprised and a bit proud of his little brother ending up on the side of good at long last.

Then the scene changed again and the voice died in his throat.

Remus and Tonks were getting married. Harry had a new, important, dangerous mission that, if successfull, would allow him to kill Voldemort and win the war.

The mirror went dark again, and Sirius sagged.

The Veil was right: Sirius wasn’t needed. Hadn’t been for some time. Probably never would be again.

_That is not what I said, Sirius Black._

“Yeah, well, doesn’t make it any less true, does it?”

The wind hit Sirius again.

_Your part in this war still hasn’t completely played out, Sirius Black. You might not be needed right this moment but soon you will be, and you will have to decide how exactly you want to continue._

“Alright, you know what? Bugger this! Can you stop being cryptic and actually fucking explain things properly? What part? What decision? And how can I do anything if I’m stuck… sorry, ‘being held’… here?”

Before the voice could reply, a loud bang came from somewhere behind one of the walls of the white room Sirius was in, and hissing sounds reached his ears.

A shiver ran through Sirius’s body because he recognized those hisses: They’d been his constant companions for twelve horrifying years.

“Dem… ah… Dementors?” Sirius whispered, terrified.

_Yes. Among other things. You’re not the only passenger in here, Sirius Black._

“Are you saying you’re keeping the bloody Dementors safe in here, too?”

_I am keeping you safe, Sirius Black. Other creatures don’t need my intervention. And if they do, I’m not inclined to give it._

“Other creatures? What do you mean?” Sirius asked, trying to suppress the waves of panic that threatened to overwhelm him. 

_Many different creatures pass through my essence. It is as it has been for millennia. Some stay for a long time before proceeding, some only stop for an instant, others meet a completely different fate. That is my nature._

Sirius bit his lip bloody trying not to lose his nerve and start yelling at the Veil to fucking be more clear and stop talking in riddles! Now more than ever he needed not to anger her because… She was the only thing between himself and the Dementors – not to mention whatever else was kept inside this place – and Sirius needed her protection more than ever.

“Please, I…” Sirius started, but the Veil spoke again.

_My protection once given will not be revoked, Sirius Black. Your safety is not in question. It does not mean I will condone rudeness, but the worst that can happen to you if you lose your temper is for me to simply stop talking to you. You will not be seen by any other creature while you are held by me._

“Promise?” Sirius asked, wondering why he kept speaking to the Veil when it was clear that she could read his mind anyway. 

_It is fact, Sirius Black. No promise needed. Fact._

“Okay, I… Thanks.”

Sirius took a deep breath and then decided to test his strength and rise up. Once he was on his feet, Sirius took a moment to decide how to proceed from here. He had thousands of questions that needed answering, and he decided to think carefully about which one he wanted to pose first. 

The need to understand the mirror better – and the desperate hope that he could persuade the Veil to allow him to look on while Harry and Remus lived their lives – was definitely at the forefront, but Sirius knew that he had to comprehend exactly how the Veil worked before he could ask anything else.

“You said there are many creatures in here at the moment, can I… Could you be more specific? What creatures?”

_Dementors. Vampires. Werewolves. Elves. Trolls. Goblins. Giants. And humans, of course._

“Humans? As in, not just me?”

_Not just you. No._

Sirius sighed. He was beginning to catch on to the fact that he needed to ask direct questions or the Veil would simply give the most infuriating of non-answers.

“What other humans are here? Do I know them? Can I… Wait, would I want to see them?”

_You wouldn’t, no. They are followers of the Dark Wizard that is plaguing your world, Sirius Black. The same Dark Wizard whose magic is burdening me, too, now._

Death Eaters. Bloody brilliant. Sirius ran a hand on his face, and sighed. Then something that Veil had said caught his attention, and he looked up again.

“Voldemort’s magic is ‘burdening’ you, you said? How?” 

_The Dark Wizard wants to use me, Sirius Black. That is why most of the creatures inside my essence are unpleasant ones at the moment. He is controlling me in a way, and I’m no longer just a passage to somewhere else. I am a repository. Storing creatures in for him, waiting to send them back to fight in his war. I do not approve of that._

“Well good! Because I don’t, either! That hideous, noseless scum! What can we do? How can we free you without freeing anything else?”

_Not even yourself, Sirius Black?”_

Sirius closed his eyes at the question. Of course he wanted to be set free: He wanted so much to go back to Harry – and to Remus, too, even if he apparently had a new life now. Sirius wanted nothing more than to see them both again and be part of their lives, their fight if need be, as long as possible.

But this was not the time to be selfish; if the choice was between making his own escape and letting Dark Creatures and Death Eaters join Voldemort’s ranks, well, that was no choice at all.

“Not even me,” he replied resolutely, staring right at the mirror.

_You do not disappoint, Sirius Black. You just chose your path, your part to play, and you didn’t even need me to explain every little detail. I am hopeful now._

Sirius chuckled, “I have my moments. So what do we do, Vee?”

_Vee?_

“Yeah, uhm, nickname. You don’t like it?”

_Vee. I should resent the humanizing of my essence. Strangely, I do not._

“‘S my charm and good looks, darling,” Sirius grinned, and then laughed out loud when a strong blow of wind invested him and made him twirl. 

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry!” He offered, and could have sworn he heard a laugh.

_You asked what we can do. The answer is: A great many things. There are many ways to rectify the situation, and many ways in which you can help your friends and the Chosen One._

“I’m all ears, Vee,” Sirius said, and made his way to the bed so he could listen comfortably.

_If you will allow me, I will make you a Catalyst._

“Okay, sounds… challenging. Catalyst of what, exactly?”

_The creatures that pass through me do not choose to be here. They have fallen in, they have been pushed in, or even sent through me after their deaths. There is one exception: One of the Dark Wizard’s followers came inside my essence by his own volition. He is the Catalyst of the Dark Wizard’s spell. His magic will be channelled on by the Dark Wizard the moment he will need the creatures released. If he succeeds, you will also be released, Sirius Black, although I can’t say whether you’ll still be you when that happens. However, if he fails nothing will come out of my essence, and all of those that are currently held within me will move on to their intended destinations. I will once more be just a passage, a vessel._

It was a lot to take in and Sirius felt that he needed a moment to digest everything he’d been told. He wasn’t getting out of here. Never. There was no way he would allow Voldemort to be successful, and by fighting him Sirius would seal his own fate. Still, at least he’d be useful to Harry in some way and wasn’t that what he always wanted to do?

“Right,” Sirius said after a while. “Let’s do this, Vee. Make me a Catalyst and let’s kick this Death Eater’s arse.”

_Your magic is two times as strong as the other human's, Sirius Black, and with my help it will be made even stronger._

“I’m liking the sound of that! But, Vee? Do you have to keep saying my full name every single time? We’re friends, call me Sirius. Besides, I’m to be your Catalyst, darling, that alone is cause for first name basis,” Sirius joked, and enjoyed the puff of warm wind that caressed his face.

_Incorrigible human. Very well. Sirius._

Sirius grinned. 

_I’m leaving you now. Preparations need to be made. You can choose what you want to do in the meantime. If you require rest, I will send you back to sleep. If you do not, I can provide reading materials._

Sirius took his chance, “Could you… Could I maybe see my friends again? Through the mirror? Can you show me?”

His request was met only by silence, and Sirius hoped with all his might that he hadn’t just screwed up.

_It is unprecedented for me to allow such a thing. The mirror can be used to show a creature the world they left behind, but it is not in my nature to offer them the chance to look through it freely and without supervision. I don’t believe it to be beneficial to the creature, either._

“Yeah, I get it,” Sirius said, dejected. “I’m sorry, had to ask. Can I have a book, then?”

_ I wasn’t finished, Sirius. Since you are not a conventional creature, and since your presence here is atypical as well, I will amend my rules and offer you one hour in front of the mirror. When the time has passed, you will be sent back to sleep. I will wake you up again when your assistance will once again be required. Is this acceptable?_

Sirius felt like cheering. 

“Yes! Thank you, Vee!” He yelled, and then placed a hand against the wall behind his bed as if to touch the Veil in gratitude. 

_You are welcome, Sirius. Be warned that it might be some time before I wake you up again. Time will pass before you’re needed, but we will speak again before that. Goodbye, Sirius._

“Bye, Vee,” Sirius replied, then stood and approached the mirror.

Soon, it cleared and Sirius found himself looking at the Weasleys’ house, The Burrow, and at the tent that had been put up to host the guests to a wedding. Bill Weasley was getting married to Fleur Delacour and Sirius looked on, laughing as Harry disguised himself as a Weasley cousin, and gazing wistfully at Remus while he patrolled the tent and, later on, talked lovingly to his wife.

The joy at seeing his loved ones unfortunately wasn’t enough to overcome the pain caused by the knowledge that Sirius would never be with them again, and that they didn’t need him anymore.

*

When he woke up again, Sirius immediately sat up and called out for the Veil.

“Vee? Everything okay? How long was I asleep for?”

_It has been a few months, Sirius, and things have progressed in the meantime. The moment has not come for you to play your role, yet, and preparations for the plan to make you my Catalyst are not completed. However, I woke you up today because of a few different reasons._

“Did you miss me? You did, didn’t you? No use denying it,” Sirius smiled, and the gentle wind was back again.

_It is not entirely unpleasant to interact with you._

“Ha! See? Knew that.”

_It is also exhausting._

Sirius laughed out loud. “My middle name, right there,” he winked.

_If you are quite done…_

“I am. Sorry, Vee.”

_Despite how pleasant – albeit vexing – our interactions may be, I do have something else I need to make you aware of. Something you might be able to achieve should you want to. Something that will, I’m afraid, require quite a lot from you._

“Okay, I’ll bite. What is it? And is it in addition to the Catalyst thing?” 

_It is an addition, yes, quite literally in fact, but it will draw from the same magic. Are you familiar with the Additum Spell?_  


Sirius thought he’d heard about something like that in the past, but his memory after Azkaban had never completely recovered and, while he could fire off hexes in a fight and the day-to-day spells came easy to him, in order to perform the more complicated spells Sirius usually needed guidance. So he sought it from the Veil this time, too.

“I heard of it, I think, but I don’t know what it’s about. Can you explain, Vee, please?”

_Additum, from the Latin ‘Addo’, means ‘to add on’ and also ‘to bring to’. The spell basically allows the caster to add a certain number of people to a list so that a protective charm can be placed on them._

“A protective charm? One that can keep them safe from death, too?”

_That is exactly it. People whose names are on the list would be able to escape death for a maximum of three times. Not even the Death spell could fell them, though they would probably think it a simple lucky escape._

“Right, can I have parchment and a quill, please? I have a list to make,” Sirius said, rubbing his hands.

_Do not be hasty, Sirius, for there’s a lot more that you need to understand before you make a decision._

Sirius was actually sure there couldn’t be anything Vee could say that would make him pass on the opportunity to protect the people he loved, but knowing more about how the spell worked was definitely a good idea so he nodded.

“Tell me everything,” he requested.

_The Additum Spell is, essentially, a protective shield placed upon the ones the caster names in the list, but in order for it to work it needs to be done in a completely selfless way. This means, of course, that the caster cannot add his or her own name to the list. It also, unfortunately, means that they cannot compose a list made only of people they care about._

“What?” Sirius couldn’t help but shout. “That doesn’t even make any sense! Why would anyone want to protect people he doesn’t give a damn about?”

_One wouldn’t, of course. But one could, in fact, write down the names of people a loved one cares about. Say, for example, one’s Godson. If those people happen to be beloved by the caster, too, well, that’s certainly incidental._

“You cheat, Vee!” Sirius grinned. “No wonder we get on so well. Okay, then, that’s taken care of. What now?”

A few puffs of wind invested Sirius and he chuckled, pleased to have once again caused a powerful entity to laugh.

_Now we get to the matter of the amount of magic the caster needs in order to perform the Additum. First and foremost, the one casting the spell has to be powerful in their own right – and yes, before you interrupt me, you definitely are as such, Sirius, and your role as my Catalyst would also add my own power to yours so that is not a problem. What might present a problem is the fact that you are not exactly corporeal at the moment, you are not of the world and, while your magic is still intact, the spell does take a toll on the caster. The cost of performing such a spell successfully could be a person’s sanity, or their magic, or even their life. In your case, it might be… Obliteration._

Sirius was glad to still be sitting on his bed because he was sure he’d have collapsed had he been standing. Obliteration. Even knowing he would never leave the Veil, never see Harry or Remus again, never be able to return to the land of the living, Sirius had still held some hope that, once his role as a Catalyst was fulfilled and he played his part in the war against Voldemort, maybe he could be allowed into the Beyond where James and Lily were. Maybe he could see them again, at least.

But now. Obliteration. If Sirius decided to cast the Additum and his attempt was successful, he could bring forth his own complete annihilation. He would vanish into thin air and be no more.

_I am sorry, Sirius._

“Yeah…” Sirius murmured. “I’m still doing it, you know? But… it’s a lot.”

_I imagine it would be. But it is only an extreme possibility, Sirius. The price you shall have to pay may not be as high._

“Thanks, Vee, I appreciate you trying to comfort me.”

_It is not in my nature to do so, but it does seem you are an exception to more than one rule._

“I love you, too, darling,” Sirius smiled. “And rules usually don’t apply to me. I make sure of it. Now, then, parchment? Quill? Can I write the list?”

_If you’re sure, Sirius. But mind, you cannot add Harry Potter to the list._

“What? Why?” Sirius gasped. “He’s the first on the bloody list!”

_He cannot be in it. There is something that needs to happen to Harry Potter before he can beat the Dark Wizard. In order to succeed, Harry Potter cannot be protected by the Additum._

“I don’t understand…” Sirius said, and he didn’t. At all. What needed to happen? What did Harry have to do that he could not be shielded from death?

_Go to the mirror, Sirius. I will show you._

Hastily, Sirius got up and crossed the room to stand in front of the mirror. When it came to life, the mirror showed a small sequence of scenes that roughly explained what Horcruxes were, and how and why Voldemort had created them (and yes, right, bloody hell, that was what Regulus had discovered, too, he’d seen that. It was what Harry’s current mission was about. How could Sirius forget?) 

Afterwards, the mirror became black once more, and Sirius’s shoulders slumped.

“He split his soul and put pieces of it inside small objects. This guy is more fucked up than I ever thought possible,” Sirius commented. “But, Vee, what does that mean for Harry? Why is this relevant to his addition to the list?”

_The pieces of a broken soul can latch onto living things, too, not just objects._

“No… Merlin, please… No…” Sirius whined, desperately.

Harry was a Horcrux? He had a piece of Voldemort’s soul inside? It couldn’t be, it just couldn’t! 

And yet, even while he thought that, Sirius could feel a few puzzle pieces finally finding a slot. Harry could see inside Voldemort’s head; Harry spoke Parseltongue; Harry had often felt scared of something inside himself, something that made him think he could be evil: A piece of Voldemort’s soul.

_Now you see why Harry Potter cannot be protected by the Additum._

“He needs… Harry has to… die?” Sirius asked, dreading the answer.

_Part of him does, yes._

Part of him? Did that mean…

_There are things I have seen that I cannot reveal to you, Sirius. The future is ever changing, and I will not speak of it. Do not ask, please. I believe I already told you enough, and you can infer from my words whatever you want._

Frustrated but aware that he would never be able to convince Vee to tell him more, Sirius accepted her words and, once again, asked for parchment and quill.

_There is one other thing, Sirius. The protection created by the spell needs to be tethered to one specific event, as it would be impossible for any being to sustain it for a lifetime. The spell will be in effect only until the event it’s tied to has resolved itself._

“So we’re tying it to Voldemort’s death, aren’t we?”

_That was my own conclusion as well. Add the specifications of the event at the end of the list of names._

“Got it,” Sirius said.

Immediately, a chair and a small table appeared in the corner of the room, and Sirius approached them and sat down. A roll of parchment and a self-inking quill lay on the table, and Sirius wasted no time in starting to write.

He thought for a moment about the people Harry loved the most and, obviously, started the list with Ron’s name.

**The List  
Ron Weasley – his parents Arthur and Molly – his brothers Charlie, Bill, Fred, George – his sister Ginny;**

**Hermione Granger;**

**Rubeus Hagrid;**

**Neville Longbottom;**

**Luna Lovegood;**

**Minerva McGonagall;**

**Remus Lupin;**

**Nymphadora Tonks;**

**Kingsley Shacklebolt.**

After Kingsley, Sirius paused, uncertain. Was there anyone else Harry would want added to the list? And how many names could Sirius write down before the list became impossible to sustain? It was obvious to Sirius that each name added to the list would require a certain amount of magic, and he wasn’t sure how many people his powers could protect before they gave out and the spell failed.

“Vee? How do I know where to stop?” Sirius asked.

_I do believe this might be a good place to stop, Sirius. Yet, I am afraid that, before you specify the linked event in the list, I am going to need you to write down another name._

“Okay, shoot.”

_Severus Snape._

“WHAT?” Sirius shouted. “Are you out of your mind? Never in a million years! He killed Dumbledore, he’s with Voldemort again, and Harry hates him! Why would I ever want him protected? Why would I waste even a drop of my magic for that arsehole?”

_All is not as it seems, Sirius, and I know your Godson will want Severus Snape saved when all is said and done._

Sirius strongly doubted that. He couldn’t imagine a single scenario in which Harry, or anyone else, would be better off with Snape alive rather than dead. Nevertheless, he knew Vee would keep insisting until he wrote down the name so, sighing, he did just that.

**The List**

**Ron Weasley – his parents Arthur and Molly – his brothers Charlie, Bill, Fred, George – his sister Ginny;**

**Hermione Granger;**

**Rubeus Hagrid;**

**Neville Longbottom;**

**Luna Lovegood;**

**Minerva McGonagall;**

**Remus Lupin;**

**Nymphadora Tonks;**

**Kingsley Shacklebolt;**

**Severus Snape (bloody git better deserve this.)**

**I hereby tie this list to the destruction and demise of Lord Voldemort.**

_Sirius._

“What? I included Snivellus, didn’t I?”

_You didn’t need to comment on it, too._

“If I have to use my own magic to protect that prat, I can bloody well be bitter about it. And comment. At length,” Sirius replied, grimacing.

A few puffs of wind rustled the paper.

“Watch it, Vee! And don’t laugh at me!” Sirius said, standing up and smiling a bit. “What now? Let’s put this in place before you snort the whole thing out of the room.”

_Now, you take out your wand and repeat the incantation._

His wand? Sirius’s eyes widened when he realised he could actually feel the weight of his wand inside his sleeve. Had it always been there? Or had Vee just materialized it?

_It has been there all this time, I just chose not to make you aware of it previously._

Made sense, Sirius thought; after all The Veil hadn’t known whether she could trust him in the beginning, and allowing him his wand might have resulted in a lot of unpleasantness had things not worked out between them.

“Thanks, Vee,” Sirius said, holding his wand in his hand and feeling whole once again. “What’s the incantation?

_Additum nomina sunt, defendat membra et incolumem custodiat._**

Sirius pointed his wand at the list and, slowly, he enunciated the words of the spell. As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a strong surge of power coming both from within himself and from the room. Sirius’s body warmed all over and his limbs started tingling. He shook, and the wave of power passed through him until it concentrated entirely in his right arm, and flowed from it to the wand. The tip of it glowed bright red and, merely a second later, the names on the list also glowed before fixing permanently on the paper.

After the magic subsided, Sirius felt his own strength leaving him and he would have fallen if a gentle wind hadn’t caught him and tenderly brought him to the bed.

_Rest now, Sirius. You have done well._

“Thanks,” Sirius whispered. “Can I… Could you maybe turn on the mirror so I can see my friends? Just a little, before I go back to sleep. So tired… wouldn’t need long.”

_I would, Sirius, but I’m afraid things are too volatile at the moment for me to allow you use of the mirror._

Sirius closed his eyes, and curled in on himself. 

“I get it. Thanks.”

Apparently, Vee didn’t like to see Sirius distressed so she spoke again.

_Your Godson is well. He and his friends are currently on their quest, and they will soon see the first results of their efforts. The Chosen One is strong, Sirius, do not doubt that. As for your werewolf friend… He and his wife are doing their best to fight back. And they will soon welcome a child._

A child? Blimey, Remus sure didn’t waste any time, did he? Part of Sirius was glad that Remus had something good in his life, and that he would soon have the one thing Sirius would never be able to give him. Another part of him, though, just wanted to scream for the unfairness of it all.

What Sirius did in the end was to simply nod his thanks to Vee, clear off his mind, and wait to be put back to sleep.

[**The incantation: “The names have been added, defend the members (of the list) and keep them unharmed.”]

*

_It’s time, Sirius._

The Veil’s voice shook Sirius out of his slumber, and he sat up on the bed, yawning.

“Vee? Time for what?” He asked, standing up to stretch a bit.

_It will not be long now before the Dark Wizard calls on his follower’s magic to recall the creatures in my essence, and force them to do his bidding. We need to be ready to counteract._

“Catalyst time, is it? Right. What do I do?”

_You don’t have to do anything other than hold your wand and point it at the mirror when I tell you to. Everything else has already been put in place._

Already? But Sirius had been asleep until a few moments before. Didn’t The Veil need his participation in order to mould him into a Catalyst?

_You started becoming my Catalyst the second you accepted my proposal. And no, I didn’t need you to be awake in order for me to ‘mould’ you. I can infuse some of my power into you during both vigil and slumber._

“That sounds sexy, Vee. Kinky, yes. But sexy,” Sirius winked.

_You can truly never be serious, can you?_

Well, she served that right on a golden platter, didn’t she?

“I’m always Sirius, Vee,” he replied, and burst out laughing when the wind of Vee’s laugh threw him back on the bed and pinned him there. 

“See? Kinky.”

The weight lifted, and Sirius sat back up again. 

“Okay, I swear I’m done taking the piss, but I do have some questions. First, you said I’ve been a Catalyst for a while, or on my way to become one. Is that why I was able to cast the Additum using your power, too? I did wonder about us doing the spell before my Catalyst journey was complete.”

_Yes, you are right. Two months ago, when we cast the Additum, you were already more than halfway through becoming my Catalyst. That is why my own power joined in with yours during the incantation._

Two months. Sirius had slept for two months. It suddenly occurred to him that, in all the time he’d been chatting with Vee, Sirius never needed anything to drink or eat; and his muscles, that should have atrophied since they hadn’t been used in months, actually felt fine to him. If he’d still held any doubt about his own situation, that revelation alone would have rid Sirius of them once and for all.

“Got it,” he said out loud. “So the spell is already in effect? Has been for a couple of months now? And was it… I mean… was it needed? Did they… Did some of the people listed in the spell need the protection?”

Basically, did anyone almost die?

_I won’t say there haven’t been any close calls, but no, no one drew from your magic in order to escape death. Not yet._

Relief flooded Sirius’s limbs, and he stood up again. He made his way to the mirror trying not to start begging Vee to let him see his friends, and a sudden thought occurred to him.

“Hey, Vee? How does this mirror work? I mean, I get that you can use it to show me the world but can they also see me through it?”

_No. No one from the land of the living can be allowed to look in on my essence._

Right, ‘course not. What was Sirius thinking? Who in their right mind would allow strangers to peek on their innards? Still, maybe…

“And what about using it to carry a message? Like, me saying things out loud that my reflection can carry to my friends on the outside. Could it do that?”

_I suppose it might, should I want it to. But why? What purpose would that serve?_

“Well, you see, when I died – or came in here, rather – it all happened so fast and I didn’t have time to say goodbye. Tell the ones I love that I loved them, and not to be sad for me. Let them know that I wouldn’t have left them had I not been forced to,” Sirius had to pause for a second to swallow down the tears that threatened to escape.

_You would not be allowed to warn them, Sirius. Should you leave this message of yours, it would only be delivered after the battle is won. It would truly be just goodbye._

Sirius nodded. “I know, I get it. But I’m going to be completely gone soon, my magic drained and my body destroyed, and I would really like to say a few words before that happens. Can I do that? Will you promise me to take my message to my friends? Can I entrust you with it?”

_You may. Look straight to the mirror and say what you need to. I promise it will reach the outside world when it is time._

“Thank you, Vee,” Sirius smiled, then followed The Veil’s directions and recorded his final message.

When it was done, The Veil spoke to him again.

_The time has come, Sirius. Take out your wand and point it at the mirror. I will do the rest._

Taking a deep breath, Sirius obeyed.

_It has been a true pleasure interacting with you, Sirius Black. You have certainly been the most interesting _hostage_ I’ve ever held in my essence._

Sirius cackled. “I love you, too, Vee,” he said, winking, and then everything exploded into a blinding white light.

Sirius closed his eyes.

*

He was trembling. Shaking uncontrollably but still somehow standing. 

His eyes were tightly shut, and his mouth torn into a grimace. He could feel his skin wrinkle and tear, and his body warm as if ready to explode.

He was breathing, but it was shallow and laboured.

He was waiting to be torn to pieces. He could feel it. It was coming.

He waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And then he couldn’t feel any pain or warmth or quiver.

Then, he couldn’t feel.


	2. Part 2

_Do you think you will ever open your eyes again or…_

Wait, what?

“Vee?” Sirius called, cautiously opening just one eye. 

_About time._

“What the hell? Why am I still here? Shouldn’t I have been obliterated?” Sirius asked, both eyes open now and taking in the room. White walls, white floor, bed, mirror… everything as it had always been. What. The. Fuck.

_You almost sound disappointed._

“No, hey! I’m not! I just… how? I knew I used up all my magic, I could feel it leaving my body, and it hurt. Also, I distinctly remember starting to tear up. I don’t understand how I can still be here. Not complaining, I’m just… Didn’t I have to pay the price of doing the spell? Wasn’t the price obliteration? You said it was.”

_I said it could be a possibility. The required toll, as well as the end result, do depend on the level of selflessness involved in casting the spell and, Sirius, yours was of the highest order. You accepted every single risk, abided by every single rule even when you disagreed with them. You didn’t once think of yourself from the moment I first woke you up. You gave your all for others, for me, and only just asked small, insignificant favours for yourself. Your price was paid in full every step of the way._

Incredulous and a bit flattered, Sirius smiled.

“Thank you, I… I don’t know what to say. I... Wait. Did we win? Did Harry… Is Harry okay?”

The mirror suddenly came to life and Sirius witnessed the downfall of Lord Voldemort with his own, shocked and proud, eyes. Harry did it. He mastered the Deathly Hallows and then disposed of them like only a true pure heart could. He made the ultimate sacrifice and came out stronger. Harry won the war.

And Remus. He and Tonks lived, they survived the blows sent their way by Dolohov and Bellatrix: Hits that should have been fatal but instead, thanks to Sirius’s now spent magic, didn’t even scratch them. Their son was beautiful and, Sirius observed through his tears, he had shockingly blue hair that suddenly turned to yellow when his dad picked him up. The boy was healthy, not a werewolf, untainted. A little, adorable, Metamorphmagus that would now be able to live in a world at peace.

A world that Sirius had contributed to create.

When the mirror blackened, Sirius nodded his thanks to Vee. 

“What now? What do I do? Do I stay here with you or…”

_You cannot stay here indefinitely, Sirius, though I wouldn’t mind keeping you._

“Ah, love, I’m difficult to give up, I know,” Sirius joked.

_And yet it becomes less difficult every time you speak._

Sirius laughed until more tears sprung from his eyes.

“What then? Where do I go? Can I… Could I go where James is?” 

_Your destination has been chosen, but I’m afraid you shall have to wait before you can reach it. One year. I will hold you and keep you safe for one more year, and afterwards you will be on your way._

“Where?”

_I cannot speak of it. Or I could, but I won’t. You shall have to wait and see._

“You’re having fun, aren’t you?”

_Almost all of the Dark Creatures which resided within me have moved on by now. I’m feeling lighter and quite free at the moment. So yes, I am, as you say, having fun._

Sirius shook his head. He had to admit he quite liked this carefree version of The Veil. 

“By all means, carry on, then. But wait… What happened to my message?”

_It has been delivered. It will soon be discovered and listened to. I keep my promises, Sirius._

“Thank you. And don’t worry, I won’t ask you to show me their reactions to it. I don’t want to see my friends listening to my swan song. So,” Sirius rubbed his hands, “will I be sleeping for the whole year, then?”

_That would be the preferred route, but I thought I might wake you up now and again to talk to you. If you don’t mind._

Sirius grinned. “You do that, Vee. You wake me up to have a chat whenever you feel like it. I’m always up to entertain a lady,” he said with a wink.

*

Outside in the land of the living, Harry Potter was alone at Grimmauld Place, walking through the rooms and trying to decide what he wanted to do with the house. When he passed a small parlour in one of the upper floors, Harry stopped dead in his tracks.

From the open door, he could see a big, round mirror that bore no reflection. Instead, the words **Harry Potter and Remus Lupin. To those who loved Sirius Black** were somehow suspended on the surface of the glass.

No amount of magic could clear the glass up and, after trying for a couple of days to get the mirror to reveal whatever it was hiding, Harry resorted to ask Ron and Hermione for help, and he also contacted Remus.

“I don’t understand how this thing works,” Harry told Ron, and his friend shrugged.

“Remus?” Harry asked, then. “Any ideas? Was this mirror always like this when you were staying here with Sirius?”

“I’m sure I’ve never seen this mirror before, Harry,” Remus replied. Then, wand in hand, he threw a few spells at the mirror to get it to react.

“Wait, Professor. I mean, Remus,” Hermione said. “Look at the mirror. Doesn’t it look like it changes the closer we get? The more people enter the room?”

Harry and Remus approached the mirror and were startled to realise Hermione was right. The closer they got, the more the words retreated and something else came forward. When they stepped away, the process reversed. 

Hermione and Ron also approached the mirror together with Harry and Remus, and the picture in the background seemed to get even closer as soon as the words backed away. It was impossible to make out what the picture was, but one thing was now clear: The mirror reacted to their presence.

“‘To those who loved Sirius Black’, it reads,” Hermione mused. “Maybe that’s the key. We need to gather everyone who cared about Sirius here, or at least as many as we can think of, and the mirror will show us what’s inside.”

“Brilliant, Hermione,” Ron complimented her, lovingly, and she blushed.

“No more surprise in your tone, is there?” She said, and Ron winked.

Harry rolled his eyes at Remus, who was quietly chuckling, then resolved to send out a Patronus to the Weasleys – because even if Molly was always reprimanding Sirius, everyone knew that deep down she was quite fond of him. Remus sent his own Patronus to his wife, while Hermione thought to send message to McGonagall, as well.

When everyone convened in the parlour – with the sole exception of Minerva McGonagall whose role as Headmistress of a partially destroyed school didn’t allow her to leave her station – Harry explained Hermione’s theory about the mirror, and everyone approached it together.

In a flash, the words disappeared and Sirius’s face took their place, drawing out gasps from everyone.

Remus couldn’t help but touch the glass, almost as if by doing that he might touch Sirius.

And then Sirius started to speak.

_“Right, so. Well. Uhm. Blimey, this is hard,”_ he begun, and as he paused trying to get his wits about him, everyone in the room started laughing.

“Oh, Sirius,” Tonks whispered.

_“Okay, I got it. Hello everyone, I bet you’re all surprised to see me. Believe me, no one’s more surprised than me by this turn of events. Anyway, here I am, talking to you from The Veil. What?”_ Sirius stopped and seemed to look to his side. _“No I’m not telling them about that, Vee!”_

“Vee?” Harry asked, but before anyone could offer a reply, Sirius spoke again.

_ “Right, where was I? Oh, right, in The Veil,”_ he said, and a weird puff of wind blew through Sirius’s hair making him laugh. _“What I’m trying to say is… I’m sorry. Harry, I’m so sorry I left you behind. I wish I could have stayed, helped you, sheltered you, and supported you. I wish I’d had the time to say goodbye. And that’s what I’m trying to do now: I’m here to say goodbye. Vee – The Veil I mean – she allowed me to leave you this message and she’ll deliver it to you. She’s cool, I’ve lucked out with her,”_ Sirius said, smiling when another puff of wind invested him.

_“Anyway, here we go. I don’t know how many of you are seeing this, listening to me, but I have a message for a few people and maybe, if they’re not there now, the ones who are can relate it to them. First off, Arthur and Molly. Thank you. Molly, I know I haven’t exactly been as nice to you as I could have been but… eh. I’m messed up. Wish I could just blame Azkaban but. Nah. Always been that. But thank you for everything you’ve done and will keep doing for Harry. Thank you for giving him the family I was never able to provide. I know you’ll be there for him, always, and it is a huge relief.”_

Sirius paused to take a breath, and in the silence that followed only Molly’s sobs were audible. Harry could feel his own tears falling on his cheeks, and fogging his glasses, but he refused to acknowledge them or look down: He intended to keep his eyes on Sirius and never ever look away.

_“Ron and Hermione. I don’t think anyone could ever ask for better friends, and I firmly believe Harry couldn’t have performed the tasks that fell onto him half as well as he did if you two hadn’t been there to support him every step of the way. Harry’s life has been enriched by your presence in it, and I am grateful to the two of you for that. Oh, and Hermione? If you have time look up a spell called ‘Additum’, okay? Can’t say why but, well, brightest witch of your age, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”_ Sirius winked.

By this time, Ron had hugged Hermione close and both were quietly crying.

_“Remus. I’ve been allowed to catch a glimpse of your life and I was glad to see you doing well. Also, I… Oh, bugger this! I just can’t be all polite and civil while talking to you. I am glad you’re okay, truly I am, but… Tonks? Really? My own baby cousin? Emphasis on the baby because, hello? Younger than you by a whole lot of years! Still, I saw you looking at her and you’re… happy. I suppose I can’t deny that. Plus, I’m told she’s about to give you something I never could, and that’s… You deserve that. I think what I’m trying to say is that I can’t very well give you my blessings – not that you’d need it, eh? – but I will content myself with the knowledge of your happiness. And I love you, you git. Forever.”_

While Sirius spoke, a few indignant noises had escaped from Tonks’s mouth, but by the end of his speech even she was trying not to cry. Remus, on the other hand, was as pale as the moon he feared so much, and his shoulders seemed to hold the weight of the world.

“I love you, too,” Remus whispered, and Harry stepped towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Harry went to speak, comfort Remus somehow, but Sirius called his name and he froze.

_“Harry. You can do this. Everything that still falls on you, you can tackle. You will be successful and I promise, I swear, I will not be idle. I will help you as much as I’m allowed to from this place. I can’t… Talk about exactly how I’ll be helping, but please believe that I will. I am so proud of the man you’ve become, and I know your dad would be, too. In fact, I’m sure he is, and your mum; they’re no doubt watching over you and bursting with pride. You will build the reality they would have deserved to live in. You will give Moony’s kid the peaceful world in which to grow up and thrive. You will do that, and I wish I could be there to see it.”_

Sirius’s voice broke, and a low sob escaped his mouth. Harry’s own sob mirrored that of his Godfather, and Remus held him close to his side. The both of them looked on as Sirius composed himself once more, and then looked back up into the mirror, a stupid grin on his handsome face.

_“I love you, Harry. Now, go and kick Lord I Wish I Had A Nose’s butt. Throw him a hex for me, too, eh? Goodbye, Harry. Remus… Goodbye, everyone. And thank you.”_

The mirror went black, and everyone cried out.

“No…” Harry murmured. “Please, no. Can I see him again? Please?”

In answer to his desperate plea, the mirror fluttered and suddenly a woman’s voice filled the room.

_“One Year, Harry Potter. One Year From Now. Come To Me. Come Stand In Front Of Me In The Chamber Where Your Kind Keeps Me. One Year.”_

Gasping, Harry asked, “The Department of Mysteries, you mean? Why? What happens then? And… are you Vee?”

_“Only One Uses That Name. I Am The Veil. I Fought In Your War. Sirius Black Fought With Me. He Was My Strength, And I Have Been His. He Was My Catalyst. I Held Him. Made Him Stronger. I Helped Him Keep You Safe. We Cast The Additum.”_

Harry didn’t understand half the things The Veil was saying, but the idea that, even from a different dimension, his Godfather had fought alongside him, that he had helped out as best he could, caused both pain and pride in him.

“Thank you,” he said. “For helping me, and Sirius. Can you explain? The Catalyst stuff, and the Additum?”

_“I Believe Sirius Black Asked One Of Your Friends To Research The Spell. Do That With The Knowledge That Sirius Cast It On Your Loved Ones. As For The Catalyst, I Was To Be Used As A Tool In The Dark Wizard’s War. By Becoming My Catalyst, Sirius Thwarted That Plan. He Was A Hero. And He Accepted The Cost.”_

While The Veil spoke, Hermione started frantically rummaging through her magically enlarged bag, that she’d brought with her when Harry had called for help with the mirror, to look for The Advanced Book Of Spells. As soon as she had it in her hands, she searched for the Additum.

“The cost?” Remus asked, after he got over the shock of hearing The Veil talk about Sirius’s part in the war. “What cost? What happened to Sirius?”

_“That, Werewolf, Is Between Myself And Sirius. Suffice To Say He Accepted It And Bore The Brunt Of His Chosen Path. Enough Now. Heed My Words, Harry Potter. One Year From Now. Be There.”_

Then the mirror went dark and, a moment later, it turned into a regular mirror and sent back to Harry his own reflection, and those of the others that stood in front of it.

“Ah ha!” Hermione yelled, triumphantly. “I found it!” 

“What does it say?” Ron asked, only to be shushed by Hermione who was reading intently.

Her eyes widened, and she looked up from the text to Harry.

“What, Hermione?” Harry urged.

“This spell is… uhm… Wait, I’ll read it out loud: ‘The Additum Spell is the most challenging in the class of Protection Spells. It requires a remarkable amount of power, an entirely selfless purpose, and the willingness to accept the highest degree of danger to oneself. Though the process for casting the spell is fairly simple, both its consequences and its demands render the Additum almost impossible to cast successfully. The aim of the spell is to create a protection shield with which to envelop a finite number of people in order to shelter them from any harm that may come to them, including death.’”

Hermione stopped to take a breath, and no one in the room dared to comment on what she’d related so far. A sea of wide, troubled eyes were fixed on her, and she steeled herself in order to continue.

Before she could start reading again, Harry voiced a request.

“‘Mione, could you please just summarize the text? I’m sorry, I just don’t think I’d be able to take you reading the entire thing…”

“Yes, I… Of course, Harry,” Hermione said. “Basically, the one casting the spell writes down a list of the people they wish to shield, but they can’t choose loved ones because they need to be selfless in this, too. Also, it can’t be a very long list because each name requires a specific amount of magic and it has to be sustainable. Once the list is complete, the caster points their wand to it and recites an incantation in Latin. If there’s enough power, the names on the list will be fixed and the shield in place. If not, or if they were somehow selfish, not only the spell wouldn’t go into effect, but the consequences for the caster would be dire.”

“Dear Merlin, now I remember about this spell,” Arthur Weasley said, interrupting Hermione. “But I can’t say I know of a single person who tried to cast it, or even wanted to attempt something like that. Nor I know of someone who could be powerful enough to carry it out…”

“If there could be someone strong enough, not to mention crazy enough, to do it,” Remus said. “That someone would surely be Sirius…”

Everyone else nodded, and Harry spoke again.

“Is that all? Does the book say anything about this ‘price’ Sirius had to pay?”

Hermione sighed, pained. “It does, and… It’s heavy, Harry. A living wizard could lose his magic, his mind, and even his life after he sustained the shield for the amount of time chosen.”

“Amount of time? What do you mean?” Ron asked.

“Oh yes, I forgot. Obviously no one could carry this spell forever so it needs to be tied to a particular moment, like a battle or…”

“Or the end of the war against Voldemort,” Harry suggested, and Hermione nodded. “So what you’re saying is that Sirius protected us while we were fighting against Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and then what? What happened to him?”

“A living person, you said,” Remus commented, looking at Hermione. “But Sirius isn’t living… Is he?”

Hermione seemed at a loss. “I don’t know. I mean, I don’t think so, but we did just see him and The Veil told us that he cast the spell and became a Catalyst so… Maybe in some ways he was still present…”

“Was?” Tonks asked, from her position at Remus’s side where she was trying her best to be supportive of her husband.

“Yes, I… Well, The Veil allowed him to say goodbye, and she also did say that he accepted and paid the price, so… I mean…” Hermione trailed off, seeking comfort from Ron.

Everyone gasped, catching on to Hermione’s meaning, and there was not a single dry eye in the room.

“He’s gone…” Harry said. “He’s really gone.”

Both Hermione and Ron bolted towards Harry, and soon he was being held in their arms and comforted.

Understanding the weight of the moment, Arthur murmured a soft goodbye and supported a crying Molly out of the room so they could apparate home. Tonks also made for the door, but she stopped when she realised her husband wasn’t with her.

“Remus? Sweetheart?”

Remus shook his head and gestured for her to go ahead, so she left. As soon as his wife was out of the room, Remus also made his way towards the three hugging friends, and placed a hand on Harry’s back.

Harry wriggled out of his best friends’ arms, and turned to look at Remus.

“I miss him,” he said. 

Remus closed his eyes.“Every single day,” he agreed.

“He was still protecting us, even from a different plane. He found a way to fight in the war, and he didn’t care how much it hurt,” Harry continued.

“That’s who Sirius was, Harry. That’s who he’s always been. Bloody git,” Remus said, voice trembling but still trying for a joke, and Harry started to giggle.

Soon, Hermione and Ron joined in, and even Remus cracked a smile.

After they calmed down, Hermione frowned.

“There is one thing I don’t understand,” she said.

“Well, if you don’t, there’s no way anyone else will!” Ron commented.

“What is it, Hermione?” Harry asked, ignoring Ron’s sentimentalism.

“If Sirius sustained the Additum as successfully as he obviously did since we’re all still here, that means he paid the price, right?” She waited for the others to nod before carrying on, “But then, why did The Veil want you to go stand in front of it… Her… in one year?”

As it turned out, Ron was right: no one had an answer to Hermione’s question.

***

**One Year Later:**

Life went on, as it is wont to do, and so did Harry. In the midst of lending a hand with the reconstruction of Hogwarts, privately studying for his N.E.W.T.s – for which he and his friends received some not-so-unexpected-anymore help in Potions by a recently pardoned Severus Snape – and thoroughly refurbishing and remodelling Grimmauld Place, Harry had still taken the precaution of buying a Muggle calendar and he was diligently marking the passing of each day that separated him from his ‘date’ with The Veil.

Remus’s life had also undergone some significant changes because his marriage, born out of desperation and the need to grasp something good in a terrible time, was finally dissolved and he went back to live in his parents’ old cottage. Things with Tonks had ended amicably so Remus could have his son, Teddy, with him whenever he wanted and for as much as he wanted, and Tonks had recently started dating again. Despite having received the ‘Order of Merlin’ for his role in the war, and being finally gainfully employed by the new owners of Flourish and Blotts who had been members of the Order and had no issue with Remus’s werewolf nature, Remus lived alone and didn’t seem to have any intention of changing his situation. He had a job he enjoyed, enough money to live comfortably with, and a free of charge (though not of snarky remarks,) monthly supply of Wolfsbane courtesy of one Severus Snape, Potion Master and owner of a successful apothecary in Diagon Alley. Remus had a few friends, he had his beloved child, and it was enough.

When the day finally arrived, Remus apparated in front of Grimmauld Place and waited for Harry to come out so they could go to the Department of Mysteries together. Though The Veil had only invited Harry to go, Remus asked to accompany him and Harry readily accepted.  


Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had in the meantime been elected Minister of Magic, had been informed of Harry’s and Remus’s trip in the Department of Mysteries, and so as soon as they flooed in, an Unspeakable met them and escorted them downstairs where he let them go in the Death Chamber unaccompanied, and remained outside to guard the door.

The Death Chamber seemed smaller to Harry, who remembered it as cavernous from his previous battle, but still its more prominent feature was the stony archway of The Veil that rose proudly on the dais.

As Remus and Harry started approaching The Veil, a small piece of parchment flew out of it and into their hands. They stopped to read it.

**The List  
Ron Weasley – his parents Arthur and Molly – his brothers Charlie, Bill, Fred, George – his sister Ginny;**

**Hermione Granger;**

**Rubeus Hagrid;**

**Neville Longbottom;**

**Luna Lovegood;**

**Minerva McGonagall;**

**Remus Lupin;**

**Nymphadora Tonks;**

**Kingsley Shacklebolt;**

**Severus Snape (bloody git better deserve this.)**

**I hereby tie this list to the destruction and demise of Lord Voldemort.**

A small sound left Remus’s mouth after he read Sirius’s list, and Harry’s worried eyes turned to look at him.

Remus was laughing.

“Remus?” Harry called.

“Yes, sorry Harry. I… This is just so _Sirius_, you know? So perfectly him…” Remus replied, equally amused and pained.

Harry nodded, looking back down at the list.

“Do you see what he did?” Remus asked.

“Yeah, he… He listed people I care about. He must have known of Dumbledore’s and Moody’s deaths or he would have added them, too,” Harry mused. “I wonder about Snape, though. I mean, knowing what I know now, I’m really happy that Sirius protected him but… Why? He certainly didn’t do it willingly.”

“I can’t answer that, Harry. Maybe The Veil showed him something that made Sirius believe, or hope, Snape was worth saving. But I don’t suppose we’ll ever know the answer to…”

Remus’s speech halted when a strong wind came from The Veil, and both he and Harry looked at it.

*

While Harry and Remus lived their lives, Sirius slept peacefully in his white room and he was only roused when Vee wanted to, as she said, interact with him. The mirror in his room had vanished, and Sirius never asked after it. For one, he didn’t think he had the right to enquire, and also, well, it wasn’t like he was dying to look in on a world that didn’t belong to him anymore.

Then one day, Vee woke him up and, as soon as Sirius stood up from the bed, a door appeared in front of him on the wall where the mirror had been.

“It’s time, isn’t it?”

_It is, Sirius. One whole year passed, and your magic has replenished. You are now ready to proceed to the destination that has been selected for you._

“Who exactly made this selection, Vee?” Sirius felt like it was important for him to know.

_You did. Your own actions, your own bravery, your own choices. That is my nature. I am but a vessel, here to help those who come into my essence proceed to their own destination. I do admit the circumstances surrounding your own stay in here as well as your own destination are unusual, but the mode of their unfolding is as it has always been._

Used by now to Vee’s cryptic explanations, Sirius merely nodded though he couldn’t say he’d understood everything she’d told him.

“Right, so, this is it. I open the door and I get to where I’m going. Or is there something else I should do?”

_You just go through the door. There is one thing you should know before you do, however. Since I infused some of my own power into you, and since your own magic has replenished while you lay in my essence…_

Vee paused to blow a puff of wind in Sirius’s face when he muttered, “Kinky…” under his breath.

_…you may find that your power has now been increased. You were already quite gifted, but now you are… augmented. Your magic is stronger than it’s ever been. Use it well._

“Oookay,” Sirius said, stretching the vowel. “Not sure how stronger magic might be an issue where I’m going, but yeah, got it. Thanks, by the way.”

_You never know, Sirius. And, you’re welcome._

“Hey, Vee?” Sirius called as soon as he moved in front of the door and stopped with his hand on the handle.

_Yes, Sirius?_

“Gonna miss you, you know?”

_You are not alone in that sentiment, Sirius Black._

Grinning, Sirius blew a kiss in the air, then turned the handle.

“Here goes nothing…”

*

When a man stumbled out of The Veil, at first neither Harry nor Remus recognised him. They nonetheless made their way towards him, and looked on while he whirled around to face The Veil.

“Wait a minute,” the man said. “What’s this? Vee?”

Remus whispered, “Padfoot…” and he and Harry started to run.

“Sirius!” Harry called out loud, and Sirius turned quickly.

“Harry?”

“Sirius!” Harry yelled again, and in a flash he threw himself in his Godfather’s arms.

Sirius held him tight, and looked over his head at Remus. They were both stunned while they stared at one another, and the only sounds in the room were Harry’s muffled sobs, and Sirius’s murmurs of comforting nonsense.

Harry finally stepped back, righting his glasses, and Sirius reached out a hand to Remus who grasped it tightly.

“How?” Remus asked, and Sirius shrugged.

“Beats me. Was sure I was gonna be sent Beyond or wherever, but when I stepped through the door I ended up here. Vee said something about ‘my actions and choices influencing my final destination’ but to be honest half the things she says make no sense at all so,” Sirius shrugged again.

“Maybe the sacrifice you made for the spell was rewarded with a second chance,” Harry suggested, and Sirius’s eyes widened.

“You know about that? You heard the message? Only, Vee told me she’d delivered it to you but I wasn’t allowed, nor willing honestly, to watch you while you saw it…” 

“We saw it, Sirius,” Remus said, and Harry nodded. “And Hermione researched the Additum and explained it to us. It was… Merlin, Sirius, only you.”

Sirius chuckled. “Not like I had much choice, did I? Had to do something. Vee helped, anyway, and she shared a bit of power with me. So kinky that one.”  


As he said that, Sirius waited for the tell-tale puff of wind he’d gotten used to, but of course none came. It was a bit disconcerting.

“And the Catalyst?” Harry enquired. “Vee, I mean, The Veil didn’t elaborate on that.”

“Vee talked to you? When?” Sirius asked.

“Right after your message. She told us about the spell and about making you her Catalyst, and then she told us to come here today. To wait for you, obviously. Only, she didn’t say that then,” Harry explained.

“Nope, she never does. Didn’t tell me she’d spoken with you, either. As for the Catalyst, it was a complicated bit of magic, apparently, but I slept through most of it and only had to stand wand in hand for the final part.”

Leave it to Sirius Black to downplay his own pivotal role in a battle.

“I highly doubt that’s all it was,” Remus said. “But now I think it’s time we leave this place. Sirius can explain everything better later on. There will be many answers to be given in the following days, I expect.”

Sirius cocked his head at Remus, and frowned a bit. “Speaking of answers, mind giving me one? How’s the wife?”

Harry looked down and coughed, clearly to mask the fact that he was laughing.

“She’s good, Sirius. I believe she and her new boyfriend are in Ireland at the moment. He’s an Auror, too, you see,” Remus calmly replied.

Sirius gaped. “Boyfriend? You… She… But…”

“It’s something called annulment, Sirius,” Remus explained, with a twinkle in his eye. “Completely amicable, and with shared custody of our son, Teddy.”

Sirius tried and failed to utter a single word, then finally gave up and threw himself in Remus’s arms. They kissed passionately, moaning and with wandering hands caressing forbidden places, and Harry blushed and turned to look the other way.

“Only you. Only you, Sirius,” Remus said, when they came up for air. The low, growling tone of his former professor’s voice made Harry blush even more.

“Forever,” Sirius replied, huskily, and Harry had to cough and interrupt before those two took things too far. 

“Sorry, Harry,” Sirius offered, amused and happy. “I’ll keep my hands, and Moony’s, to myself.”

“Oh for the love of Merlin,” Harry groaned, and both Remus and Sirius laughed.

“Come on, time to go face the music,” Remus said then, and the three of them made their way to the door, ready to face whatever came next.

Before leaving the Death Chamber, Sirius turned to look back at The Veil.

“Bye, Vee. Thank you,” he said, and imagined a few ripples on the surface of The Veil to be Vee’s answer.

*** 

**One More Year Later:**

Sirius stood on the dais facing The Veil. It hadn’t been easy convincing Kingsley to allow him entrance to the Death Chamber, and it’d been even harder persuading Remus to let him come alone.

So much had changed since Sirius had returned to the land of the living. He’d initially had to spend countless hours inside the Ministry while Unspeakables interrogated him about the workings of The Veil. Sirius had also been thoroughly examined, as was the paper with the list he’d written when he’d performed the Additum – a parchment that was now considered a relic from another dimension as well as proof that someone had successfully performed the most onerous of protection spells and lived to tell the tale… Well, lived _again_ as it was.

Once cleared and allowed to leave, Sirius, who had successfully kept the extent of his newly replenished and increased magic from the Ministry (while also protecting Vee’s nature and essence as much as he was able,) resolutely refused to take back Grimmauld Place. As much as the house had changed under Harry’s care, Sirius wanted nothing to do with it and was more than willing to leave it to Harry. 

Instead, Sirius purchased a small house in Somerset and, after only a little bit of cajoling on his part, Remus came to live with him. With his magic, Sirius also added to the house a padded, warded basement where Remus could spend every full moon in Padfoot’s company. The second bedroom was swiftly turned into Teddy’s room since Remus had joint custody, and Sirius fell in love with the kid almost at first sight. Teddy had been a bit shy in the beginning but soon, thanks to Padfoot too, he abandoned every reserve and nowadays he worshipped the ground Sirius walked on.

Only a few months after Sirius’s return, he proposed to Remus and the two had a small bonding ceremony. A bond, contrary to a marriage contract, was unbreakable, and because of that it was very rare for two people to choose that kind of ceremony. Remus and Sirius didn’t even consider anything else, and they wouldn’t: After all, they’d been bonded, albeit not legally, since their teenage years.

The extent of Sirius’s own power was known only to Remus and Harry, but it threatened to publicly reveal itself during the bonding.

On the altar, flanked by their best men – Harry for Sirius, and Bill Weasley for Remus – Sirius and Remus had faced Minerva McGonagall, whom they’d chosen to officiate the rite, and promised each other forever.

They clasped each other’s forearms and repeated the bonding incantation after McGonagall. As soon as their words ended, Sirius’s eyes glowed and a golden light enveloped their joined arms. The whole thing lasted mere seconds, and only the people closer to the altar witnessed it, but it left a lasting effect: From then on, Remus would always have a small S branded on the inside of his left wrist, while Sirius’s own sported an R.

Thankfully, before anyone could comment on it, McGonagall acted swiftly. 

“Well, then,” she said, looking pointedly at Sirius. “I see your slightly modified incantation worked, Sirius,”

“Yes, uhm, good,” Sirius stuttered, embarrassed and grateful. “Looks like it.”

Remus, meanwhile, was staring at the initial on his wrist, and Sirius worried.

“Moons? You, uhm… You mind?”

“I love it,” Remus answered, eyes glistening, and they shared their first kiss as a bonded pair.

Now, a few months after the ceremony, Sirius was standing in front of The Veil holding a small bouquet of white orchids in his left hand. The right held his wand, and Sirius used it to levitate the bouquet and raise it between himself and The Veil. He took a deep breath and blew on the flowers, before sending them gently into The Veil.

Sirius was hoping that, by infusing the orchids with a bit of his magic, he might somehow reach Vee. Maybe even talk with her. He knew it was an impossible dream but he decided to try anyway.

He waited for a few minutes after the bouquet had flown in, but nothing happened. Deflating, Sirius sighed and accepted that he had to content himself with having successfully sent the flowers to Vee. Hopefully, she hadn’t minded the small intrusion.

“I just wanted to let you know I’m happy, Vee. And to say thank you. I miss you, you know? Wish I could talk to you again. Hope you liked my gift, though. Pretty flowers for a pretty lady,” Sirius said, smiling openly.

He nodded one last time towards The Veil, then turned to go.

_Incorrigible human._

The words were accompanied by a warm gust of wind, and Sirius laughed.


End file.
